Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips

I have many guilty pleasures. This is one that I have enjoyed since I was a child. I used to go to my friends house where her grandma would make flour tortillas, fry them whole and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. My friend Jennifer and I would sneak into the kitchen and eat them just as fast as her grandma could make them. I can still hear her grandma yelling after us in Spanish. :)
Now I make this treat for myself (and my kids of course) as often as my waistline will allow. It couldn't be simpler, and it tastes amazing - almost like a churro.
All I do is put a little corn oil into a heavy pot (maybe 1/2 inch to 1 inch of oil) and let it get hot. While the oil is heating up I cut some flour tortillas into triangles (like a pizza). Sometimes, if I'm being good I'll just fry up one tortilla. But on nights like tonight, I'll go ahead and do 5 or more. ;)
When the oil is hot I turn the oil down to medium and then start dropping in the tortilla triangles. I only fry about 5 triangles at a time, because I use a small pot. You just want to make sure that you don't crowd the pan, and that each triangle gets it's own space. While the first side cooks (which only takes a minute or less) I put some paper towel on a plate and get my cinnamon sugar out. (I keep a syrup dispenser on hand with pre-made cinnamon sugar for occasions such as these.)
When the edges of the tortillas start to turn brown I use a pair of tongs to turn each triangle over. The second side will cook even faster, so keep an eye on it! When both sides are browned to your liking, remove the triangles and place them on the paper towel. Immediately sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, on both sides, and then drop some more triangles into the oil. The longer you fry the hotter the oil will get, so you might need to turn the oil down to medium low. Just keep an eye on it. The darker you fry your chips the crispier they will be. The lighter they are the more "crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle" they will be. I like I mixture of both textures, but you make them how you like them.
That's all there is to it. No rocket science, just three ingredients and a few minutes to a cinnamon sugar indulgence.
There's no real "recipe" here, but I'll list it anyway. :)

Heat 1/2 inch of corn oil in a heavy pot, over high heat on the stove. Cut the tortillas into triangles and set aside. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside. When the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium and gently drop in a few triangles, in a single layer, to fry. Don't crowd the pan.Watch them carefully, because they will burn quickly. When the edges start to brown, turn each triangle over (using a pair of tongs) and continue frying until the second side is brown. Remove the triangles (using the tongs) and place onto the paper towel lined plate. Immediately sprinkle both sides of each triangle with the cinnamon sugar. Repeat the process with all the "raw" tortilla triangles. Can be enjoyed alone or as an accompaniment to fresh fruit salsa or ice cream.

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About Me

I'm a mommy of 5 who loves to cook. My kids would often say that I should be a chef, and they would shout in unison "Chef Mommy!" - hense the name of my blog. But please do note, I am not a chef. I've never been classically trained. I learned how to cook by the apron strings of my dad and my love of food tv starting back as long as I can remember. I cook the kind of food I want to eat. Sometimes it's complex, but more often than not it is just simple and delicious. My recipes are more or less approximations because I cook by feel - not so much with measurements. As with anyone's recipes you should feel free to modify mine to suit your tastes. Don't take me too seriously, because I don't. Come along with me and I hope I can get you to love and appreciate my food as much as I do!